Rewind
by RheyaKelvin
Summary: Season 4 of True Blood, re-imagined. Sookie's Fairyland sojourn takes a darker turn, with various consequences. A harder and more calculating Sookie, new plot twists, some angst, some action and plenty of romance. Written entirely in SPOV.
1. Home

**AN: **This is a True Blood story but it contains some characters and themes from the SMV books. You don't need to have watched season 4 of TB to understand this story. I am planning on changing loads of things anyway.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: Home<br>**

I waited until the guard had bolted the door of my cell to heave a sigh of relief. I was bleeding and bruised but none of my bones were broken, and that was the best outcome I could have hoped for. My most superficial ailments would be healed by the medicinal potion I knew Keelan would be bringing me, and a few mouthfuls of fae bread would restore my energy and magical abilities; but mending shattered limbs took time and powerful magic, and I was running out of both.

Today had been horrible, but then most days were, lately. I had been in Fairy, as the realm of my fairy relatives was called, for close to six months. The first four months had been fairly idyllic (or rather, with hindsight, they had seemed so to my eyes but had in fact been an insidious grooming period), then things had gradually deteriorated, only to reach critical point about a month ago.

That's when I had finally started to outwardly rebel. And that's when my 're-education regimen' (which was just a very fancy way of describing plain old torture) had begun. At first, my tormentor had been a male fairy called Declan. He'd attempted to set me straight with a combo of starvation, sleep-deprivation, and positive reinforcement. Basically, anytime I showed signs of improvement, I was allowed to stay in my room at the great hall with the instructors and the other recruits, fed well and got to sleep in a nice warm bed. When my behavior wasn't satisfactory (which was a more frequent occurrence), I was isolated, denied food for days at a time, and left to rot overnight in the Box, as they called their solitary confinement cell.

The Box was a plain chamber in the dungeons underneath the fancy castle where the V.I.F. (very important fairies) lived. Inside were only a straw bed and a rudimentary toilet. It sure wasn't the Four Seasons, but I could have handled it just fine except for one little detail: the walls were spelled to reverberate with the slightest, tiniest noise, and amplify it exponentially. That meant that even if I stayed completely still in a corner of the cell, the sound of my own breathing and heartbeat hit me in a eardrum-splitting, migraine-inducing cacophony, _without interruption_. In these conditions, it was impossible to rest, or think, or do anything at all expect wish for death, and after a night in the Box I was always considerably more pliable. Up to a point, that is.

You see, I had no trouble faking compliance on the 'minor' issues to avoid further punishment.

'_Yes, I believe in the superiority of the fae races over mere humans and other supernatural races. Yes, I have forsaken my human relatives and former friends. Yes, I swear eternal loyalty to Queen Mab. Yes, I will use my newly-improved powers to fight my Queen's enemies to the death. Yes, when I return to the human realm, I will track down other part-fairies gifted with the spark and lure them into Fairy so that they too can become Queen Mab's minions.'_

But there was one topic on which I would not budge: _'__**NO**__. I will not marry that vicious bastard Lochlan.' _

Lochlan was a member of another fairy clan which had recently formed an alliance with Queen Mab's clan. He was a hateful little creep who absolutely _abhorred_ humans and everything to do with them, which is why he was almost as disgusted as I was when his liege, the warlord Breandan, had negotiated for me as his bride. Breandan hated humans too, but after learning that Queen's Mab genealogists had discovered I was related to a certain Niall -who happened to be Breandan and the Queen's arch nemesis - he had taken a great interest in me and decided he wanted me bound to one of his most trusted lieutenants. I didn't understand all the ramifications of his decision, but I knew I was a strategic piece in the wargame Breandan and Queen Mab were playing. They were preparing for an upcoming conflict, for which they were to fight for the same cause, hence the political alliance. That was also the reason why Queen Mab was nabbing part-fairies from the human realm left and right, brainwashing them, honing their magic and fighting skills in order to make them good little canon-fodder, so to speak.

I, like all the other recruits, had been lured into Fairy with the promise of friendship, companionship, protection, and a blissful life in a candy-colored dreamland. Unfortunately, by the time I had figured out the real agenda of my 'saviors', it was too late to tell them to go to straight to hell.

But the forthcoming war wasn't my biggest issue right now. I was too busy trying to escape an arranged marriage with that huge sadist, Lochlan. I'd only properly met him once, during a banquet in honor of Breandan. He'd sat next to me and proceeded to recount in great detail what he'd done to the last 'filth-blooded hybrid trash' he'd gotten his hands on. The worst part was his totally flat tone of voice as he described scenes of depraved abuse: you would have thought he was reading the phone book. After Queen Mab had traded me (without so much as asking my opinion on the matter, I might add), she'd been infuriated when I had voiced my adamant refusal to go through with the union. By the fairies' own rules, you couldn't marry off a woman against her consent because the words spoken during the wedding ceremony were magically binding. If I didn't say 'yes,' the marriage was not valid. And I had _no_ intention of saying yes. So Queen Mab handed me over to Declan to be taught the value of loyalty. After three weeks under his special care, though, I wasn't any closer to becoming a blushing bride so Neave, Lochlan's equally perverted sister, had taken over my re-education.

Neave didn't believe in starvation or positive reinforcement. In fact, she made sure I was well fed and well cared-for in between our tête-à-têtes regardless of my progress, because she liked her victims to be healthy every time she set out to play with them. This way, they lasted longer, she had explained. Her thing was knives. She was a virtuoso with them, and was taking her sweet time with me, increasing the intensity of her ministrations with each encounter, not wanting me to break down too soon and spoil her fun. But after only three sessions with her, I knew I was fast approaching my physical and mental breaking-point. Which is why I was planning to escape today.

For my plan to work, I had to be in the Box. In order to have Neave put me there, I knew I had to anger her enough for her to want to deprive me of my usual post-torture TLC. So this afternoon, after I'd been brought down from my room to Neave's make-shift torture chamber in the castle, I had bitten her shoulder with all my might when she'd bent down over my shackled body to work on my upper arms. She'd gone completely mad with rage and had slashed my chest, arms, and thighs with more violence than ever before. I'd thought for a minute that I wouldn't survive the ordeal, but luckily the guards posted beside the door had heard her screams of fury and had restrained her before she could do irreparable damage to her future sister-in-law. As hoped, I was sent to the Box for my sins, and there I now awaited my co-conspirator, Keelan.

Poor dumb, gullible Keelan.

He was my Offensive Warfare Techniques instructor, which meant he'd taught me how to control and improve my microwave fingers thingy (which was really called an Essential Energy Blast). According to him, I was his best student. He'd also fallen in love with me over the months we'd spent training together. But most importantly, he was a full fairy, which meant he could teleport and knew where the nearest portal was and how to activate it. I had no romantic interest in him, but after my situation had began to deteriorate, I'd realized I would need all the friends I could get. At first, it was relatively innocent flirting, but when Declan had started to put me more and more often in the Box, it had gone further… first kisses, then declarations of feelings. After Neave had embarked on her reign of terror, I had talked him into eloping with me. Together, we'd secretly hatched an escape plan, and last night we'd agreed to put it into action. To make sure he'd come for me, I did something I had never thought I would ever do: I had sex with a man I neither loved nor particularly liked, out of sheer self-interest.

Yes, I was aware of what that made me, but I was past caring. The past couple of months had hardened me and rendered me more cynical than ever. I'd realized that I'd learned nothing from Bill's many betrayals. Once again, I had been fooled by some empty promises and easy lies, and I'd sworn to myself that would NEVER happen to me again! I decided I was beyond done being a victim, and I would not wait to be rescued this time. I would rescue myself, with all the tools I had at my disposal. And yes, Keelan was one such tool. I'd had to become as ruthless as my tormentors simply to survive, and if that meant manipulating the feelings of a man who could help me out of this hell, then I was prepared to do whatever it took.

And now that the plan was set in motion, I was waiting. Seated on the cool floor of my cell, trying to ignore the deafening noise and the pain caused by my injuries, I waited.

After what seemed an interminable time, the sound of the big metal door being unbolted reverberated on the walls. The door opened and I had never been so happy to see Keelan's tall, slender figure, and handsome face. He did not step inside but held the door open so I could crawl out (aside from the echo spell, the Box drained the magic out of its occupants, so that full-fairies could not teleport out of it. It wasn't an issue for me since I had been unable to master the skill, but the cell had still weakened what magic I had). As soon as I had crossed the threshold, he picked me up and held me in a bone-crushing hug. My cuts were still raw, so I whimpered in pain.

"Forgive me, my beloved," he apologized in a choked-up voice. "Your nightmare is almost over."

As Keelan loosened his embrace, I noted that my guard was passed-out on the floor. That was the main reason I had needed to be here: being basically inescapable, the Box was poorly guarded and nobody ever came down to the dungeons except to fetch or bring down some unfortunate soul. I was currently the only occupant and Neave had specified I was to stay here until next morning. It would be hours before anyone noticed I had disappeared, but I wasn't about to take any chances. "Get us out of here," I whispered.

Keelan didn't need to be told twice and immediately teleported us to a hillside miles away from the village. He laid me down on the soft grass and gently looked me over. I knew my tunic, which was all I was wearing, was stained with blood. He tore the fabric from my body and swore when he saw the extent of my injuries. "I would make her curse the day she was brought into the world, if only I had the time," he acidly spat as he pulled a leather pouch f rom his satchel. I allowed him to hold my head up as he brought the mouth of the container to my lips. As soon as the salty liquid hit my tongue, I felt the pain drift away. I drained the healing brew in under a minute and by the time I was done, I was well enough to be able to sit up under my own volition. I examined my body, noting that the bleeding had stopped and the shallowest cuts were already knitting up, before looking up at Keelan, who was squatting beside me.

"Thank you," I said with a smile.

He leaned forward to kiss me and I let him. "For you, my most beloved, anything," he replied after we had broken off. He handed me a small golden loaf of bread which I devoured in haste. I smiled as I felt my magic being restored and then I put on the clean clothes he had produced from his bag.

"Okay. Let's go," I declared. We weren't far from the portal and stealthily crept closer until I could clearly see its shimmering outline. Since it was one of those portals that never closed, there was always the risk of someone else using it and we couldn't chance premature discovery. Luckily, the area was dead calm, so we approached unhampered.

Keelan stood in front of the portal, put down his satchel, extended both his hands palm up, and said a few words in the musical ancient dialect used by the fairies for all their magical rituals. I recognized some of the words since I'd had to learn a number of incantations, and made sure to remember phonetically those I didn't understand. I watched as the clear shiny surface morphed into a cloudy blue vortex, and I knew this meant the portal was ready to be used. I glanced one last time at my dark-haired companion, and was shocked by how little guilt I was feeling for what I was about to do.

Just as he span to face me, I gathered my magic and aimed at his side. The energy blast hit him like a freight-train, lifting him clear off the ground. He was unconscious as he crashed into the grass. "I'm sorry, but this is my journey alone to make," I declared. As helpful as he'd been, Keelan was still a Queen Mab loyalist, and he fully believed in the fae-supremacist propaganda (he'd opted to have selective memory when it came to my own heritage because I had the spark). I knew he hoped we'd lay low for a few years then come back to Fairy, beg for the Queen's forgiveness and hope her anger had abated enough for her to bless our union. That wasn't gonna happen.

I bent down to check that everything I needed was in the bag: a little crystal vial containing the blood of a black unicorn (the rarest and most potent of all), a ceremonial knife with a blade fashioned from a dragon's scale and eight small firestones. Keelan had stolen all these potent magical artefacts from Queen Mab at great personal risk, and I didn't want to think about what his punishment would be when the full extent of his treachery was discovered. Without a backward glance, I threw the strap across my torso and stepped into the vortex, emptying my mind of all thoughts except a single one: 'HOME'.

The actual experience of dematerializing was quite indescribable. The best I could do would be to call it falling upward. It only lasted an instant before I was thrown out of the vortex and bounced onto dirt. I swiftly hauled myself upright and looked around.

Oh my God! It had worked!

I was in the cemetery in the woods beside my house. It was bright daylight and I took a couple of seconds to breathe in the Bon Temps air. My God, I had missed home so much! Still, I had a job to do.

I faced the portal and knew I had to act fast. Vortexes were unstable so the one I had just used would soon disappear. I recovered the vial from Keelan's satchel. I unscrewed the stopper and tossed the contents over the portal. The surface instantly turned a glossy crimson. I parroted the incantation Keelan had used to activate the portal and watched as it grew opaque and colorless, like frosted glass. I knew then that the portal was closed, but I wasn't about to stop there. I picked up the dragon-scale blade and slashed through the rapidly fading surface, earning very satisfying sounds of tearing and screeching for my efforts. That meant whatever magic was carried by that particular gateway was dying. This portal and its Fairy equivalent weren't just closed; they were now utterly destroyed.

My hardest task had been accomplished, and I felt like the world had been lifted from my shoulders. I was safe for now.

If Queen Mab wanted to come after me, she'd have to find herself another portal, and that wasn't as easy as it might sound. I just had destroyed the only one in her fiefdom and I knew Breandan didn't have any in his much larger territories since he'd bragged about eradicating them all a long time ago. Fairies were very territorial about doorways to other realms, so the Queen would have to ally herself with another clan which had a working portal in its land. Since fairies were also long-winded, the negotiations could take years. And even if she managed to find herself a new portal, good luck to her making me cross over this time!

As with everything magically-related in the fairy world, you had to be a willing participant. It didn't matter whether you were tricked or lured under false pretenses, but at some point you had to say yes with your heart or with your mind. Needless to say, I would never, ever again, take anything offered by a fairy. As the saying went: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. I was plenty shamed already, enough to last me ten lifetimes, so the buck stopped right here and now.

I set off to my home with a spring to my step. I missed my things, Gran's things, the old heirlooms that had belonged to my family for generations. I wanted to sit on the porch and read a good mystery novel. I wanted to suntan on my lawn. I wanted to—

I was pulled out of my musing when I reached the end of my driveway (which I noted with surprise had been completely re-graveled) and my house came into view.

WOW! I couldn't believe my eyes.

The last time I had been here, the farmhouse had been distinctly run-down, but now it looked shiny and polished like a doll-house. The wooden siding had been fully restored and painted over with a fresh coat of a soft yellow color. The grass was flawlessly manicured and the flowerbeds flourishing. I could see contractors working in and around the porch, putting up the finishing touches. I scurried up the stairs but was hailed by a construction worker on my way in. "Sweetheart, where do you think you're going?" he drawled.

I gave him an appraising look and almost snorted. "Oh, honey, I'm so not a sweetheart," I replied. Not anymore, that's for sure.

The man gaped at me but I ignored him, pulled the front door open, and stepped in. I was in for more surprises, it seemed. Gone were the stained walls, musty smell and general squalor left over from the maenad episode. In fact, the house looked better than I could ever remember. Everything was spotless and the rooms smelled of wood polish and clean linen.

I felt tears coming to my eyes. I had never imagined Jason would take such amazing care of my house in my absence. But where had he found the money for such an extensive restoration?

The construction worker had apparently regained his countenance because he addressed me again from the doorway. "Honey, if you don't come back out, I'm calling the police."

I swirled to face him and replied with a big smile. "Yes! Yes, please do! And ask for Jason Stackhouse. Last I heard he was hanging out at the Sheriff's office."

I didn't wait for his reaction to continue my exploration. The kitchen had been upgraded and repainted, the living and dining rooms had been partially refurbished, the old grandfather clock had been fixed and even the piano was tuned. I was pleased to see that the discarded furniture hadn't been thrown away but instead was stored in the guest room downstairs. I took a peek in the guest bathroom (which wasn't en-suite) and found out it had been converted into an all-purpose storage room. What really caught my attention was the huge hot water tank. It was powerful enough for me to never have to worry again about cold showers. That was all the encouragement I needed to check out the bedrooms upstairs. I headed towards Gran's first. Everything was very clean and some minor repairs had been made, but it'd been mostly kept as it was. I gazed longingly at the memory-filled space for a few minutes before walking back along the corridor to check mine.

My floral wallpaper had been refreshed and the wall adjacent to my bed had been painted a pale salmon color. I'd never thought of that shade but it was perfect. My parquet had obviously enjoyed some serious TLC and, while my bed frame was still the same; as I jumped on my bed I discovered I had a brand new mattress. Humm, it was like lounging on clouds.

As soon as I opened the bathroom door, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. My old shower stall was gone and it its stead I found a gorgeous oversized clawfoot bathtub. My God, I could do laps in that thing. My toiletries had been refilled and fresh fluffy towels were ready for use on their stand. It was as if I'd never left.

I could not resist the temptation of a long shower right there and then. My muscles were sore from all the demands I'd put on my body so the hot water felt like a blissful caress. I carefully washed the dried blood away and shampooed my hair. My cuts still stung, and it was obvious I would be left with some ugly scarring on my thighs, upper arms and torso, but I tried to banish such thoughts from my mind for the moment. After taking full advantage of the hot water tank, I blow-dried my hair and pampered my skin.

I had just finished putting on a blue sundress and a pale yellow cardigan when I heard Jason's voice calling and rushed out of my bedroom. The look on my brother's face as he spotted me at top of the stairway was almost comical. I darted straight into his arms and engulfed him in a bear hug, pain be damned.

"Sook… Sookie…" he muttered in awe. It took him a moment but he finally responded to my embrace. "You're alive! Oh my God! Sookie!" He cried out. "We all thought you were dead… I… Oh Sookie, where **were** you? I can't believe you're here."

I'd broken our embrace to look him over and, couldn't hide my surprise. "You're a legit cop now?" I asked with a raised eyebrow, eying his very official-looking police force uniform. "You're done procrastinating for good?"

Jason looked proud as a peacock as he replied: "Yup! Passed the exam last year. I'm deputy now." His face turned serious once again. "But Sookie… where were you?"

"First of all, I need to ask you something: what is today's date?"

"Today? October twenty-first."

"Of what year?"

Jason looked at me as if I was crazy but answered me all the same: "2011."

God. I had been gone two and a half years. I'd been told that time moved differently in Fairy, but that was a hell of a lot of time to lose. Still, I wasn't gonna cry over a few lost months when I had escaped death, torture and a loveless marriage with a twisted brute (in increasing order of horror).

I took Jason's hand and pulled him towards the kitchen. We sat around the table and I proceeded to explain everything to him: where I'd been, and with whom. I glossed over the torture, just telling him that I'd been hurt when I'd stopped playing ball. I felt that he needed to know about our common ancestry and the dangers that came with it, for his own safety as well as mine. I didn't think any fairies would target him because he didn't have the essential spark, but he could be manipulated to further an agenda.

Jason listened to my long speech quietly but, once I'd stopped talking, it was clear he thought I'd been taking crazy pills. He asked me if I had been away in a cult, which, to be fair, was a pretty accurate characterization. It was only after I demonstrated my powers by making my hands glow and displacing a teacup across the table with a tiny bust of energy that he took me seriously.

"I'm a _fairy_?" he asked after he'd recuperated from the monumental shock. He sounded utterly appalled and I laughed out loud at his reaction.

"I had pretty much the same reaction as you when I found out. Technically, you're just a hybrid. The essential spark, which is the bit of magic that makes fairies what they are, isn't in you. Not that you should be sad about that. Fairies, as it turn out, are absolute lying a-holes, so you should count your blessings that they'll never seek to exploit you for your abilities."

"What'd they do to you, sis?" He asked thoughtfully.

I shrugged. "All you need to know is that they're dangerous and ruthless. They'll use you if they can." I was more than a little aware that this description applied to me too, after what I'd done to Keelan. "That's why you need to be vigilant. I know you have a weakness for pretty girls. Well, fairies are _very_ pretty, and they can be very charming when they want too. You have to be on your guard."

Jason was about to interrupt me but I raised a hand to stall his objections. "All I ask is that you let me scan any potential conquests before you get involved with them."

"I'm with Crystal now, sis. Steady and all. We're good. I ain't dogging around no more."

For the next twenty minutes, I listened as Jason told me about his new life. His involvement with the notoriously inbred and secretive community of Hotshot worried me a bit, and I decided I would do some nosing around to check that he wasn't putting himself in danger. I asked him for news about our friends and wasn't totally surprised to hear that Tara had left Bon Temps. We had both a spell of bad luck in this town, and we'd both chosen to run away. As the conversation was dwindling, I noticed it was getting pretty late and sunset was fast approaching.

"Jas, there is something I need to do, for both our protection."

"What d'you need?"

"I need to perform a binding spell on you that would prevent you from speaking to anyone about our fairy ancestry, even under glamour. This is our family secret and it needs to remain just that. Fairies aren't the only ones we have to worry about. Vampires would do about anything to get their fangs on fairy blood—"

"Is that why vampire Bill was so obsessed with you?" he interrupted.

"Part of it was my blood, yes. He and Eric know what I am, but I have the situation under control when it come to those two." Or I would do soon.

"Okay. If you say so. So do what you need to do. Anything to keep you safe."

I gave my brother a grateful smile and took his hands. I chanted the relevant incantation and felt the spell take its hold.

"That's it?" Jason asked after it was over.

"Yup, that's it," I smiled.

"Cool… So, can you do, like, magic tricks?"

"Not really," I laughed. "I was only taught spells that were useful for warfare. For instance, the binding spell is used to prevent soldiers from spilling strategic secrets if they're captured. I can also prepare some basic healing potions and cast protection spells, which is handy to ward a military camp. Speaking of which, I'd like to come ward your house against ill-will tomorrow after I'm done doing mine. I'm too exhausted to do anymore heavy-duty magic today."

Jason looked thoroughly impressed, which was a nice change from his general annoyance about my telepathy, but then he frowned. "By the way, Sook, you're welcome to move in with me for as long as you need to. I'm really sorry I had to sell your house—"

"You sold my house!" I exclaimed. "What the hell are you talking about? Aren't you the one who did all the fixing up?"

"Naw! How d'you figure I could afford all that? I'd have to sell the house just to be able to pay the bills to fix it up!" Seeing my scowl, Jason reached out to me across the table. "Look, sis. You'd been gone for over a year—"

"And you thought you could use the money, right?" I cut in acidly.

"Aw, c'mon, don't be like that! What was I gonna do with a big empty house sitting there? I thought you were gone… it was just too sad."

I thought about how odd it was that everything had been preserved as if waiting for my return. "Who bought the place?"

"I dunno really. Some company named AIK or something. Paid cash and all."

I wanted to remind him that this house was his family heritage, and that he should have been a bit more concerned about who was acquiring it. What if they'd just decided to raze the house to the ground? But eventually I held my tongue because I didn't want to quarrel with him on ultimately trivial material things. Being with Jason, just talking to him and seeing his face, had completely lifted my spirits. I'd just escaped hell and I'd surprised myself by being able to laugh, and just talk, and be happy. I didn't think I could ever be that cheerful again, but I had underestimated my resilience.

"I love you Jason," I blurted out, suddenly emotional.

"I love you too, sis."

Our Kodak moment was interrupted by a banging on the front door. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I knew exactly who that was, and I was none too pleased.

"All right," I muttered to myself. "Showtime."

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><p><strong>AN<strong>: What did you think? Would you like to read more?


	2. The Game Has Changed

**AN: **All credits go to Alexander Woo, Alan Ball, HBO and Charlaine Harris. A huge thank you to my Beta All About Eric.

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><p>"<em>I love you Jason," I blurted out, suddenly emotional. <em>

"_I love you too, sis."_

_Our Kodak moment was interrupted by a banging on the front door. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I knew exactly who that was, and I was none too pleased._

"_All right," I muttered to myself. "Showtime."_

_•••••••••••  
><em>

**Chapter 2: The Game Has Changed**

I went to answer the knocks and, as anticipated, I found Bill pacing on the porch. He whirled around to face me and his expression upon seeing me wasn't so different from Jason's.

"Sookie?" he breathed. "Is that really you?"

When he took several steps towards me, arms outstretched, I matched them backwards. My face was a completely blank mask (I'd learned that from the vampires), and if he'd hoped for a cinematic reunion, complete with tears, sweeping music and fireworks, he was clean out of luck. My closed features gave him pause and he stopped his advance.

"Sookie, I… please forgive me. I know I'm the last person you want to see, but —"

"Actually," I interrupted, "you've gone down a few notches on my shit-list. Amazingly, there are even lousier people than you in my life right now."

As soon as the words escaped me, I regretted them. Not because I felt guilty about the hurt etched on Bill's face, but because I hadn't meant to sound so bitter. It had been six months since I'd washed my hands of Bill, but he seemed to cling onto my skin like a bad smell. I was so angry with him and I couldn't put a cap on that anger. That was bad, because I didn't want him to still affect me that much, and also because I needed to keep a clear head in order to play my cards right. Within seconds of seeing him, I'd already let slip hints about my current situation. I couldn't give him more ammunition: from what I knew of Bill Compton, he was expert at exploiting even the slightest weakness. I took a breath to collect myself.

"Before you ask, I've been out of town for personal business but I'm back for good, now. That's all you need to know," I declared as calmly as I could.

Bill leaned forwards and spoke in a pained voice: "You've been gone for so long… I've felt so empty, so lost… It was as if —"

I felt my temper rise again at hearing Bill's plaintive speech. How dared he stand before me, with all the crap he'd put me through, and tell me about _his_ sufferings? _Fuck him_. I crossed my arms and cut off his whining:

"Bill, I have to warn you: if we're going to start discussing your issues, I'll have to bill you the full hour."

Before he could respond, a whooshing sound came from behind him and a familiar voice said: "Well, it was about time that he dealt with all these mommy issues."

Bill looked over his shoulders and spat: "Now is not the time, Eric!"

The blond vampire ignored him and addressed me directly: "I always knew you would be back."

"Shouldn't you be in Fangtasia, _sheriff_?" Bill irately said.

What followed was a bickering contest between the two vampires, which I silently observed. When Bill ended up ordering Eric to go on an errand and Eric actually conceded defeat, I was stunned. The Eric I knew would have told Bill to go choke on a maenad, but now he actually took orders from the younger Vampire. What the hell had happened while I was gone?

"I am apparently needed elsewhere," Eric stated, his intense stare fixed on me. "But know this: everyone who claims to love you; your family, your friends, even Bill Compton right there; they all gave up on you. I. Never. Did."

And with that he was gone in a blur. I had to give it to him: he knew how to make an entrance _and_ an exit. I was about to invite Bill to follow Eric's example and get the fuck off my property when the wailing of a siren tore through the air. My address was evidently the hot ticket in town tonight.

A fuming Andy stumbled out of his police car and proceeded to give me an expletive-laden welcome. When he'd calmed down a bit, he said with genuine concern in his voice: "We all thought he…"

He gestured towards Bill, who finished the sentence: "They all thought that I had killed you."

I looked at my ex and sweetly said: "But why would they think that? You would never hurt a single hair on my head, right?"

Bill's shoulders tightened but he had the good sense to avert his eyes and keep quiet. Jason chose this opportune moment to join the peanut gallery. When Andy asked me to come down to the station to take my statement, Bill took over and placated the officer by putting forward a cover story explaining my long absence and offering to reimburse the cost of my search parties.

For the second time tonight, Bill's demeanour had surprised me. He exuded an air of authority and it was clear that Andy deferred to him, just as Eric had. I would need to get to the bottom of this power shift. If Eric wasn't the most powerful Vampire around anymore, I might be placed in the position of needing to seek Bill's help and protection. It would absolutely bite my ass to ask him for anything, but I would use him if it could benefit me.

In spite of Bill's assurances, Andy still got in my face about some stupid plaque but Jason thankfully ushered him away before I could introduce him to my right hook. Andy had always been an curmudgeon but he if wasn't careful he would discover sooner rather than later that the new Sookie had very little patience for bullshit.

I turned my attention back to Bill, who was leaning against the porch railing. "I take it that a lot of things have changed during my absence," I ventured cautiously.

"Yes. Sophie-Anne is dead," he replied pointedly.

I took a beat to register the information, then inquired: "Who is the new ruler? And do I have to worry about him or her?"

Bill straightened and declared: "I am the King of Louisiana."

I couldn't help but gape in astonishment. While that explained the behaviours I'd witnessed tonight, I couldn't compute how Bill, of all people, had risen to the top of the vampire hierarchy.

"How did you swing that?" I uttered before I could help it.

Bill was clearly put out by my reaction. "You would not believe what it is possible to achieve when everybody under-estimates you."

I gave him a level stare. "Actually, I know exactly what you mean."

We held each other's gaze for a few moments, and he was the first to look away. Bill's new status changed things. I had planned on dealing strictly with Eric but now I saw that I couldn't afford to cut ties with Bill. I needed to tread carefully and revise my options. A thought crossed my mind and I asked: "Did you buy my house?"

He looked surprised by my question. "No. No, I did not. Would you like me to find out who owns it?"

"I'd appreciate that, yes. Where can I contact you?"

"I still live in the old Compton house. You're welcome anytime, but it would be better if you booked an appointment."

"I see… I might swing by some time this week. There might be something I need to discuss with you."

"I'll look forward to that."

Bill seemed to be put at ease by the civil turn of our conversation, which suited me fine. If I was gonna use him, I needed him to like me. Still, I had seen enough of Bill Compton for the night.

"Not to be rude, Bill, but I have stuff to attend to…"

"Of course. I'll leave you be. Goodnight, Sookie."

I nodded a salute before turning back and stepping inside the house. Back in the living room, I found a stack of mail next to the phone. They were all addressed to the mysterious AIK and were mostly utility bills. I looked for hints about the identity of the house's new owner but found nothing useful. I leaned back against the cushions of the brand new sofa and thought about everything I'd learned today, and what my next move should be.

One thing was for sure: I needed the protection of a Vampire. I'd pissed off a handful of powerful fairies and, even thought I'd bought myself some time by destroying the portal, I knew I'd be hearing from them one way or another. Vampires were fairies' natural enemies, so it made sense that I would go to one. _The enemy of my enemy_, etc. I also needed protection from other vampires. With Sophie-Anne dead, I could breathe a sigh of relief for the moment, but more were bound to come sniffing. I'd learned to fight, but I couldn't solely rely on my powers. There were only so many energy balls I could throw.

No, I had no choice. As much as I hated it, I needed to be somebody's… or I wouldn't be.

Eric had been the obvious choice: he was the most powerful Vampire I knew, he was aware of my heritage, he was ruthless and, most importantly, he had made it plain that he wanted me to be his human. However, now that I knew that Bill outranked him, I had to consider the possibility that my ex had more to offer. Returning to him was the last thing I wanted but I would be mercenary in order to ensure my survival. And if I did go back to him, at least this time it would be on my terms.

The problem was that I knew little about the workings of vampire monarchies, and I couldn't make an educated decision without more insight. I eventually decided I would make up my mind after I'd talked to both Bill and Eric.

Jason returned later that evening with two paper bags full of groceries. I proceeded to fix us a chicken casserole but there was an awkward moment when I had a strong reaction to seeing Jason handle a kitchen knife. My brother was disquieted but I managed to pull myself together after some time and we enjoyed an agreeable dinner. Afterwards, we sat in front of the TV to watch the Alfred Hitchcock movie _Spellbound_ on TMC (I had cable TV now), with cups of hot chocolate with marshmallows. It was heaven.

That night, I lay in my bed and, for a couple of hours, I just listened to the peaceful night. For the first time since my return, I allowed myself to cry and mourn my lost innocence. I had gone through a lot, but I'd swore to myself I would never be a victim again, and I held onto that promise.

Eventually, I fell into a dreamless sleep.

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><p><strong>AN<strong>: Thank you **_so much_** for the amazing response to the first chapter of this story! I'm genuinely thrilled.

The banner for _Rewind_ is available on my profile, as well as the link for my WordPress blog for those who prefer that website over FF.

I hope to post chapter 3 on Saturday. Thank you for reading.


	3. New Deal

**AN: **_All credits to Alexander Woo, Alan Ball, HBO and Charlaine Harris._

**Three important things:**

**1.** I follow the format of the show, up to a point. You will find situations and pieces of dialogue that are straight from _True Blood_, but I always put my own twist on things. Differences will become increasingly marked as the story progresses.

**2.** Regarding the characterization of Sookie, you will have noted that she's quite angry, hostile and cynical compared to the show version. This is a direct result of what happened to her in Fairy. She won't always be like that, but it's necessary for now. This story is meant to be a romance eventually.

**3.** I forgot to write this in the first chapter but, in regards to the Hot Shot storyline, everything is as happened in the show up to the final episode of season 3. In this universe, Crystal Meth didn't leave with Felton but instead stayed to take care of the _Deliverance_ cast and has been dating Jason all this time.

**Thank you all so much for the wonderful feedback. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: New Deal<strong>

The next morning I retrieved four firestones from Keelan's satchel and went down to the storage room to collect some gardening tools. I buried the stones around the farmhouse (one facing each compass point) then I cast the protection spell. I felt the magic set as I ended the incantation – from now on, anyone with nefarious intentions would be prevented from stepping onto the property.

I showered and ate breakfast, then I put the remaining firestones in my bag and went on my way. I found Jason's house empty but assumed he'd spent the night at Crystal's. After warding my brother's home, I stopped at the bank to put my financial affairs in order. There had been no miracle there: I was still poor. I phoned the practice of Sid Matt, my family's attorney, but was informed that he'd turned over his firm to a young lawyer called Portia Bellefleur, who agreed to meet me later at Merlotte's after I'd explained my predicament to her.

Around noon, I reunited with Terry, Arlene and Laffy at Sam's bar. We all pleasantly caught up but my boss' appearance definitely put an end to the levity. He was quite plainly pissed off, and demoted me to the rank of junior waitress. I couldn't really blame him: I'd have been mad too if someone I cared about had just fallen off the face of the hearth only to reappear months latter with a bullshit explanation. I seriously hoped he'd get over it, though, because I valued his friendship… and I needed the money.

Portia turned out to be a pretentious little princess (she actually showed up to Merlotte's in a cocktail dress and ordered a cappuccino). She had found out that AIK was an untraceable shell company, so I was back to square one. I finished my shift then drove home in my banged-up little car (the only thing I owned that hadn't been upgraded).

I was feeling eager for company so I called Jason to invite him over for dinner again, but I only got his voicemail. After washing Merlotte's grease off my skin, I put on a cute white silk teddy and a matching robe I had found in my wardrobe, then performed my nightly beauty ritual.

I was slathering some cream over my legs when I became acutely aware that somebody had materialized behind me. I froze and began gathering my magic.

"Do you need help with that?" a familiar voice purred.

I wrapped my robe tightly around my body and twirled around. "Eric! What the hell?"

I briefly considered blasting him away. The wards were in place so I knew he didn't mean me harm or he would have been unable to set foot in the house, but he needed to be taught a lesson about personal space and privacy. In the end, I decided against it; not because I had any concern for the bastard's well-being, but because I wanted to avoid wrecking my bedroom.

"Let's make this a full-body massage," Eric continued, shamelessly undressing me with his eyes.

"Get _**out**_ of my home, you giant creep!" I yelled.

"Actually, it's _my_ home," he replied as he produced a set of keys from his pocket.

"_You?_ You are behind AIK? But.. but, why?" I stammered. Eric was the last person I'd imagined would have an interest in owning an old farmhouse. I took him for the mansion type of guy.

"Because I always knew you were alive; and if I owned the house, then I would own you." He then said, punctuating each word with a step towards me: "Sookie. You. Are. Mine!"

His fangs extended and I gaped at his face in shock before bursting out laughing. It was obviously not the reaction Eric had expected, but I couldn't help it. That little speech was the most ridiculous thing I'd ever heard.

What the fuck was he on? Can vampires get high?

I laughed so hard that I let go of the side panels of my robe. The garment fell open, revealing my bare legs. I knew Eric had spotted the scars on my thighs when his expression went from discomfiture to anger in a flash.

He moved even closer to me. "Who did this to you?" he demanded.

I sobered and got up in his face. "You need to get the hell out of my room or I will have you arrested for… for… sexual harassment!" I seethed.

Okay, even I knew that was a pretty empty threat. There was no way I could have Eric arrested, considering I was technically squatting in his home. I was the law-breaker here. Eric raised a skeptical eyebrow but thankfully turned away.

"I will wait for you downstairs," he threw over his shoulder.

I waited until he'd left to pull some pajamas pants and put my damp hair into a ponytail. I found Eric in the dining room, looking at some family pictures on the wall.

"Do you like what I've done with the place?" he said when I joined him.

He looked calmer than he'd been upstairs but I couldn't help having a dig at his crazy ownership talk. "It's lovely," I said dryly. "I hope my tan doesn't clash with the drapes. I wouldn't want to spoil the overall decoration."

Eric didn't take the bait. "I kept all your things," he simply remarked.

"Yeah, thanks. I'm back now, so I'll want the house back. I'll compensate you for all the work you've put in it, of course. Will you agree to a payment plan?"

"No."

"_No?_ Eric, I don't have that kind of money just laying around!"

"The property is mine. I'm keeping it. You're welcome to stay here as my guest."

"Your **guest**?" I cried out in anger. "This house has belonged to my family for generations! It has no value to you, while I have a lifetime of memories in here."

Unperturbed, he countered: "And the place is now in better shape than ever. As you can see, everything is in good hands."

His phlegmatic attitude told me that I was getting nowhere fast.

_Damn him. _

I gritted my teeth and swallowed back the volley of insults I wanted to throw at him. There was one way I could get him to hand me back my home, and that would be killing two birds with one stone.

I put my game face on and gestured towards the dining chairs. "Sit down. I want to talk."

"About?"

"About your offer, if I can even call it that."

He angled his head and looked at me curiously. "Really? How… reasonable."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you usually let your emotions run away with you instead of relying on your wits."

I was about to tartly remind him of his own outrageous behavior just five minutes ago but I bit my tongue. I would most likely need him in the very near future and, as the popular wisdom went, you don't catch flies with vinegar.

As soon as we were both settled, I went right down to business: "What does it mean to be yours?"

A crooked smirk grew on his lips and he let his eyes roam over my chest.

"Apart from the sex," I groaned with annoyance.

Eric raised an eyebrow. "Is this a job interview?"

"Yes."

"Alright. Being Mine means that I will take care of you."

"In what way?"

"In any way you need taken care of."

The lewd smirk was back and I huffed exasperatedly, but Eric grew suddenly serious.

"I will take care of your financial and material needs, as I've already begun to do with this house."

"I don't want your money," I chimed in. "I'm not Yvetta."

"Regardless, you will be provided with whatever you might require. But most importantly," and here he leaned forward, "I am offering you my protection. You are too smart not to understand that it's only a matter of time before your attributes become more widely known in the supernatural community. Be it for your telepathy or the elixir running through your veins, you will always be coveted. If you want to survive, you will need a powerful ally. You _need_ me."

I already knew all that but I didn't want to seem too eager, so I pretended to think over his words for a few of minutes. My prolonged silence apparently made Eric a bit nervous, because he sighed unnecessarily and said: "Contrary to what you might think, Sookie, I do care about you."

I raised a dubious eyebrow. It's not like I hadn't heard that one before. I decided to bring up the one issue that prevented me from accepting his offer: "Why shouldn't I go to Bill? He is your superior, after all. I'd probably be even better protected with him."

Eric snorted derisively. "I have served under many royals, Sookie, and I have outlived most of them. Being King means walking around with a giant target stuck on your back. You've known two monarchs so far, both of whom were much older than Compton, and where are they now? Make no mistake: all the trappings of power are not enough to stop an ambitious upstart determined to wear a crown, and there are many such vampires. The truth is: Bill is too busy protecting himself to effectively protect anyone else."

"There's also the fact," Eric continued after a pause, "that Compton is practically an infant. When it comes to the heat of battle, who do you want standing between you and danger, Sookie: a 1,000-year-old warrior, or a 150-year-old politician?"

I had to admit that Eric was making a pretty convincing case, but I still wanted to know more about Bill's new position. I proceeded to quiz him about the inner workings of the vampire hierarchy and, to my surprise, he was very forthcoming with information. He told me about the division of America into clans, about the Authority (a group of ancient vampires who had supreme jurisdiction over all vampires), about the top enforcer of vampire justice in North America (a humorless creep called the Magister), and a few other things. Considering I'd been involved for six months with someone who was pathologically secretive, Eric's candidness was refreshing, to say the least.

"What kind of King is Bill?" I asked when he was finished.

Another snort. "The unpopular kind."

"But he commands you."

"Technically, yes. But I have powerful friends of my own, and that gives me a lot of leeway. If you're afraid that he could just take you away from me, don't be."

I waited for him to expand, but it was clear he had said his piece on the subject. "Would you go against older vampires for me?" I pressed.

"I defied Edgington, didn't I?"

"What about other creatures?"

"Like fairies?" he asked pointedly.

I nodded. I heard the tell-tale snick as his fangs extended. "I _love_ fairies!" he exclaimed with a broad (and rather sinister) smile.

Hum, yeah, _I bet_. I thought it was as good time as any to raise the topic of my blood: "Since you love the taste of fairy so much, how do I know you won't lose control and drain me altogether?"

His amusement faded. "I am not Bill," he replied sharply. "I am almost ten times Compton's age, and I have a hundred times his self-control. Besides, you are only a small part fairy. You are in no danger from me."

"Okay," I sighed. "We've talked about what you would do for me. Now I want to know what would you expect from me in return."

"_Everything_," he replied without missing a beat.

"You'll have to be more specific than that."

Instead of expanding his answer, Eric merely held my gaze and slowly lifted an eyebrow.

_Damn him._

Of course, I wasn't so naïve as to think he would be content if we just held hands and braided each other's hair. I was prepared to do whatever was needed to ensure my survival, but I still wanted to see how little I could get away with.

Firstly, I needed to establish some ground rules: "I have no intention of letting you chain me up in your filthy dungeon and fuck me unconscious," I firmly stated.

His conceited expression faltered a bit. "I wish you hadn't seen that," he said quietly.

"Really?" I shot back skeptically. "You didn't seem to care at the time. It's not like you to try and hide what you really are."

"I am not planning on using you in that manner," he insisted. "Unless you beg me to," he added with a wink, "in which case it can be arranged."

I scowled. "Not gonna happen."

He chuckled and leaned back in his chair. "So, do we have an understanding?"

"You haven't answered my question."

"I will not demand sex from you. You will come to my bed of your own free will… and sooner than you think."

"You sound awfully sure of yourself."

He shrugged. "I know you are attracted to me."

Well, there was no point denying that. Even before he'd tricked me into drinking a few drops of his blood, I had been drawn to him. Eric might be an infuriatingly cocky bastard, but he was a seriously good-looking one. And he was a pretty stellar kisser too. And he had the body of a Greek God. And he knew how to rock a leather jacket. Yeah, the point was: he was hot and he knew it. But in spite of the Keelan episode, I was still reluctant to have sex with a man I didn't love, and I didn't love Eric.

The vampire carried on: "What I want in exchange for my protection and support is your time."

"My _time_?"

"Yes. We can start slow, say … two or three nights a week, then we will gradually increase the amount of time we spend together."

I frowned. "Spend time doing what, exactly?"

Shrugging, he replied: "Talking; getting to know each other better; having fun… What humans call hanging out, I believe."

"This is your price?" I asked incredulously.

To my surprise, Eric confirmed with a nod. He obviously felt pretty confident that my legs would soon magically open for him, because I couldn't imagine just 'hanging out' with him. His idea of fun was probably to start the evening by draining a Were then proceed with an eight-hour fuck-a-thon.

The object of my musings was looking at me expectantly. I took a deep breath and said: "We have a deal."

Eric gave me a triumphant smile. "I knew you would come to your senses eventually, and I'm pleasantly surprised by how pragmatic you are about the whole thing."

I said nothing and waited for the inevitable demand for blood, but instead he bit his wrist and extended it to me. Uh oh! I should have known there would be a catch.

"To seal our agreement," he explained.

"No!" I said instinctively.

Eric looked offended. "What do you mean, 'no'?"

"I will not let you pump me full of your blood so that you can manipulate me!"

He leveled me with a stare and when he spoke, his voice was icy: "_Again_, I am **not** Bill."

"Prove it," I challenged.

His gaze softened. "I seek to protect you, Sookie, not control you. I will only give you a small amount; just enough to be able to sense your fear if you are in danger and to make you smell like me to other vampires."

"And you're saying that's all it'll do?" I retorted dubiously.

"My blood will also improve your health and appearance, and you will most likely have erotic dreams about me."

I already knew about the dreams, considering I'd had a few vivid ones since Dallas. I would be lying if I said I hadn't enjoyed them, but I was determined not to be anybody's puppet.

"And you don't think that's manipulating me?" I demanded.

"No. You're already attracted to me. A few dreams won't change anything. Having my blood in Dallas never prevented you from turning me down or defying me. What Bill did was different: he fed you a large quantity of his blood before you had formed an opinion about him. You had no way to differentiate between your true feelings and his influence."

I had to admit that he was making a fair point. Regardless, I hated the idea of having my emotions tampered with, even a little bit. After being so thoroughly fooled by Bill, I wanted my mind sharp and clear.

"Can't this wait?" I pleaded.

Eric regarded me for a beat then conceded. "We will perform the ritual in a week."

I breathed a sigh of relief at the small reprieve. A week should give me some time to research bond-magic and with some luck to learn some useful trick on how to protect myself from Eric's influence. To placate the vampire, I cautiously offered: "You can have a bit of my blood, if you want."

I expected him to jump on the opportunity, but he surprised me once again by replying: "Not tonight. Not until you're healed."

That was the first mention of my cuts he had made since our confrontation in my bedroom. I knew I would have to explain their origins one day, but I was grateful that he wasn't pressing for answers tonight. I didn't see fit to mention that the scars were most likely there to stay, so he was in for a long wait, but I briefly wondered who he would be feeding from if not from me.

"So… now what?" I asked awkwardly.

"I imagine you want to be left alone with your thoughts for now, so I will see you tomorrow night," he said, standing up.

I followed him to see him out (manners cost nothing). Eric noted that the back door was creaking and said he would see that it was fixed. I made no comment, since it was his prerogative to spend his money on a home he owned. I hadn't asked him for my house back as part of our agreement, not because I was happy to let him have it (I definitely wasn't), but because I knew him well enough to guess that he would hold onto it until he was convinced of my loyalty. I planned to broach the subject in a couple of weeks.

Eric made to cross the threshold but changed his mind at the last moment. Turning back to face me, he slowly leaned forward until our faces were mere inches apart. He hovered there for a moment and I knew that he was giving me the option to back out.

I didn't.

Our lips met in a soft, almost chaste kiss. I was dimly aware of our noses brushing against each other in a sensuous caress, but it was the electric feel of his skin touching mine that I was concentrating on. I opened my mouth to lick at his lower lip and moaned when his response was to suck on mine. I wanted to deepen the kiss, to taste him. I pushed up on my tiptoes and leaned against his torso but I suddenly found myself kissing air. I opened my eyes to see Eric sporting a shit-eating grin. He kissed my forehead and whispered, "tomorrow," before leaving.

I knew exactly what he'd just done: he'd demonstrated that he could put me in a state without even trying, with just the ghost of a kiss, and without any help from his blood. His point made, he'd swaggered away, leaving me hanging with the female equivalent of a case of blue balls.

_Damn him._


	4. Meow

**AN**: A huge thank you to my Beta **All About Eric** for sending back this chapter in record time. And thank you dear readers for all the wonderful reviews! They always make my day.

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><p><strong>Chapter<strong>** 4: Meow**

The next morning I drove to the public library before my shift to look up local paranormal shops on the Internet. Unsurprisingly, there was a scarcity of such ventures in Bon Temps, but I managed to find a witchcraft supply store called Moon Goddess Emporium in Shreveport. According to their website, they had a large section of occult books, so I was hopeful I could find some helpful literature on Bond-magic. I made a note of the address and headed to Merlotte's. There, I met Arlene and Terry's adorable baby for the first time. Arlene's behavior was close to manic, but I credited post-partum hormonal imbalance for her paranoia.

After my shift I stopped by the grocery store and, when I came home, I found the back door had been fixed and a brand new microwave oven had been delivered. There were also two packages waiting for me.

The first one was a cell phone with a note explaining that I was now on Eric's phone plan. The contact numbers of all my friends had already been programmed into my new device, which was a nice (if high-handed) touch. Despite his offer of financial support the previous night, I had no intention of letting Eric become my sugar daddy, but I figured a phone was an acceptable gift. After all, I was kind of an official 'companion', now.

The second box contained a jar of pale green bath salts. The accompanying message was written in a heavily-slanted scrawl and signed by a certain Dr Ludwig. Apparently, I was to put a pinch of the crystals in my bath every night to treat my scars. I had to admit I was pleasantly surprised that Eric had gone to the trouble. I was doubtful the alternative medicine would have any effect at all on my blemishes, but the thought was there.

I had one more surprise waiting for me when I discovered a decanter of blood in my fridge. I rolled my eyes but left it there: since Eric would not be drinking from me, I couldn't begrudge him for bringing over his own dinner. That also answered my curiosity about whether he would be feeding from fangbangers.

Thinking of my forthcoming 'date' with Eric reminded me that I needed to warn Jason away from my house for the night. My association with the vampire was one bombshell I wanted to drop on my own terms; I didn't want my brother to just stumble upon Eric and me. I called his cell phone but got his voicemail. I figured he was still at work, so I tried the Sheriff's office. The receptionist informed me that Jason hadn't reported to work and then, at my request, put me through to Andy.

"Hi Andy! Do you know where Jason is, by any chance?" I asked.

"It's Sheriff Bellefleur to you," he answered gruffly. "And why the hell would I know where your brother is? I'm his boss, not his babysitter."

"Wow! Easy, _Sheriff_! I'm only asking you because I haven't been able to get a hold of him in two days; and now I hear he hasn't showed up for work. Is it customary for him?"

"He's probably hanging out with those inbred hicks from Hot Shot. Listen, I gotta go," Andy huffed, then he hung up before I could respond. Since Hot Shot was all I had to go on (and considering I had planned on checking out the community anyway), I jumped in my car and headed there.

Hot Shot, as it turned out, was the kind of place that gives the South a bad name. It looked like a large junkyard and its inhabitants like extras from the movie _Deliverance_. A young boy named Timbo greeted me. When I mentioned Jason's name, he became visibly anxious and unconvincingly assured me that he didn't know my brother's whereabouts. As soon as I dropped my shields, I knew my suspicions had been warranted. His were-mind was slightly hazy but I could read him well enough. To my horror, I learned that Jason was being held prisoner in the hangar right in front of me by the fugitive Felton, who had apparently very recently re-surfaced, and none other than Jason's girlfriend Crystal.

I pretended to accept the boy's explanation and made a big show of getting in my car and driving away. About one mile out, I whipped out my cell phone and called Andy again.

"Andy, I found Jason. He's being help prisoner in a hangar in Hot Shot. You better come here this instant and bring the cavalry with you or I swear to God I will make you regret the day you were born."

I cut the call before he could utter any protests and got out of the car. I jogged back to the community and stealthily made my way to behind the hangar. I sensed that Jason and Crystal were alone in a room but Felton was close by. Based on Felton's thoughts, it was obvious that he had developed an addiction to V. That fact actually worked on my favor: since his mental faculties were so weakened by the drug, I had no trouble locking onto his mind and sending a befuddlement spell. That kind of magic wasn't actually my forte but it worked beautifully on Felton's unstable brain. I waited until I heard him exit the hangar to investigate an imaginary disturbance somewhere else. I attempted to duplicate the process on Crystal, but the were-bitch's mind proved resistant to my powers. I had no choice: I would have to confront her.

Using a side entrance, I sneaked inside until I could see the bed upon which my brother was being held. Crystal was straddling him. She had her back to me and was pouring some water into his mouth. I nearly heaved when I plucked from her mind what she had planned for Jason: Felton, the community's only healthy adult male, had grown irreversibly impotent from V abuse so he had convinced Crystal to turn my brother into a were-panther and then have him impregnate every female in Hot Shot to ensure the propagation of the bloodline.

I felt the wave of rage shoot through me and my hands began to glow. At that precise instant I wanted to kill Crystal, and I might have done so if my eyes hadn't met Jason's. The dread I could read in them brought me back to myself. I knew I would risk hurting my brother if I used my powers against Crystal, so I calmed myself down and, after carefully grabbing a rusted pipe from a shelf, I furtively closed the distance to the bed. As soon as Crystal was within reach, I clocked her on the back of the head. The blow was not hard enough to do serious damage, but she was out for the count. I slid her body onto the flood then proceeded to untie Jason.

"Sookie!" he urgently whispered as I battled the knots. "Felton's in the next room!"

"I took care of him," I breathed back. "Police are on the way."

We made it outside just as we heard the approaching sirens. The subsequent arrest of Felton and Crystal, which I watched from a safe distance, was surprisingly anti-climactic. Felton did make a pathetic attempt at a stand-off, and some shot-gun rounds were fired, but in the end he was subdued without any casualties. Crystal had regained consciousness just in time to be shoved in a police car. While she was waiting to be carted out, I went to confront her.

"Don't think I'm done with you! You depraved bitch!" I hissed at her through the partly-opened widow. She scowled at me and attempted to spit in my face but the jet of saliva ended up dribbling on her side of the glass. She did try to appeal to Jason when he came to hug me but he was having none of it. To my disappointment, he insisted that only Crystal and Felton be arrested, despite the fact that most of Hot Shot had been complicit in his imprisonment.

I returned Jason to his cottage (he had refused to go to the hospital) and helped him settle down. His house was quite the mess so I did some housework while he took a long bath. After he'd cleaned himself up, he joined me in the living room and allowed me to try my healing magic on him. I watched with satisfaction as the bruises around his wrists and ankles faded and his features relaxed from the pain-relief. I could sense he was still starving, though. The fridge was full of cold pizza slices and microwave dinners so I briefly left him to go shop at a nearby convenience store for all the ingredients needed to fix him his favorite comfort food: Gran's special fried chicken recipe with all the fixings.

Jason was very subdued throughout dinner and I didn't have the heart to reveal Crystal's full plan to him. It was bad enough that he had been betrayed by a woman he thought he loved; he didn't need to know he had just escaped maiming and ritual gang-rape on top of everything. I offered to stay the night but Jason made it clear that he wanted to be left alone to lick his wounds in private. I respected his wishes and hugged him goodnight.

It was quite late as I drove home and I was knackered from the day's events, so when I saw a shirtless man walking by the side of the road, I first thought I was hallucinating. I slowed down as I came closer to the stranger and experienced a jolt of recognition. The broad shoulders, blond hair, and impossibly long legs couldn't belong to anyone but Eric Northman.

What the hell was he doing wandering around on foot, half-naked? Where was his flashy car? Was this his version of the walk of shame? If so, I didn't really appreciate him coming straight to my house after a tryst. He could have at least bothered to get dressed again, for Christ's sake.

I rolled my window down and called: "Eric?"

Instead of politely acknowledging me, he went into panic mode: he crouched and turned to face me with his fangs down and his hands clawed.

_What the fuck?_

Astonished, I gathered my magic in case he decided to attack and cried: "Eric! It's me, Sookie! What are you playing at?"

The vampire narrowed his eyes and studied me for a moment. I was startled by his appearance: his hair was in disarray and his eyes were wild. I saw no hint of recognition in them.

"Who are you?" he eventually said.

"I… I'm Sookie," I replied in disbelief. When he didn't react, I added: "I'm your... friend."

At this, he stood up straight and lowered his hands. "You know me?"

By now I was pretty much convinced that Eric wasn't performing an elaborate prank. There was something really wrong with him and I was completely at a loss as to what to do next. The confused vampire suddenly caught my scent in the wind and his gaze shone with a predatory gleam I immediately recognized for what it was.

"Why do you smell so good?" he asked dreamily.

_Oh shit! _


End file.
